Boulder

Boulder

Not far away from Gołuchów, in the forest complex, you can find an erratic block - the greatest in Wielkopolska Province and sixth according to its greatest in Poland. It is called St. Jadwiga Stone or St. Kinga Stone. It is the most spectacular relict of Ice Age in the region.

It is a pink, medium grainy granite, placed in Gołuchów region by Scandinavian continental glacier. Its circuit amounts 22 meters and its high amounts 5,5 meters whereof 2 meter are under the ground level. Since 1888 it has been a protected natural phenomena. Numerous legends are connected with this boulder.

One of its says that under the stone there is a great treasure, but the stone is so heavy that no one can take it out.

Another legend says that under the stone there are queen St. Jadwiga of Silesia’s knights sleeping. The knights had died during the battle with the Tartars. The queen had asked Our Lady to change the knight’s death into dream. When the creed will be in danger once more, the knights wake up and fight for their faith.

The best known legend is that the devil wanted to throw the big stone into Kalisz Town as he was angry with the town citizens. The boulder though was so heavy that he didn’t manage to reach the town before morning. At the dawn when the cock had crowed the devil had whapped the stone in the Jedlec forests where it is placed till now. Second version of this legend says that the devil wanted to place the stone at the town gate to unable Kalisz’s citizens outside contacts. However he was scared of the cock crow and left the stone in the forest not far away from Gołuchów.

Another story says the stone was going to be used as a foundations of Gołuchów castle. One of the devil which cooperate with the Gołuchów’s owner, didn’t manage to bring it at the building site, as he met a woman who was carrying the cock to the fair. The cock had suddenly crowed. The devil was scared and left the stone in the forest.

The boulder is indisputably one of the greatest tourist attraction in Gołuchów.